Make It Work
by Blisterdude
Summary: In the weeks after the Hunters and the Gargoyles clashed, life changed for everybody. In particular, the lives of Detective Elisa Maza and Goliath.
1. Make It Work

So, having recently revisited and rekindled my love for Gargoyles for the first time in years, I finally decided to lavish a bit of time and care on a little story about one of my all-time favourite pairings. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but hey, its just a bit of fun.

* * *

"Stay back!"

Another shot went off, wild and erratic. Elisa and her team ducked back as it ricocheted off the squad car.

"Morgan, get a couple of the guys to go around, that alley cuts into another street and we don't want this guy wandering out into the public."

"You got it, Maza." Morgan nodded, peeling off a couple of officers and sending them jogging down the street.

Elisa peered over the top of the car bonnet cautiously. The alleyway was shrouded in darkness, but the perp was definitely back there somewhere.

 _Time to try it by the book,_ Elisa mused, wryly.

"Throw down your weapon and come out, you will not be harmed!" She called.

Her only response was a frightened yell and another gunshot. This time, she heard a window smash high up on the building across the street. To Elisa, that told her everything she needed to know.

Sure, trusting her 'instincts' wasn't exactly accepted practice, or orthodox, but they'd never steered her wrong before…not often anyway. And once pack of thousand-year-old mythical nocturnal creatures from the past had blown into her life a few years back, well…frankly, those 'instincts' had been working overtime.

"Okay then." She murmured, slipping her gun back into its holster beneath her jacket. Time to test those instincts again. "I'm coming out!" She yelled.

"Detective!" Morgan hissed, but she waved him off.

Slowly, she stood up. For a moment she was sure another shot would follow but…nothing. She breathed out, nerves on edge, and began steadily making her way around the car and into the alley.

Matt hated it when she did stuff like this. Just as well he wasn't here.

"I'm not holding a weapon." She said loudly, holding her hands up for whoever was back there to see. "I just want to talk."

About halfway, she slowed. She didn't want to set off the suspect, since they were clearly treading on thin ice, mentally.

"We can help, if you'll let us." She spoke out, clearly. As long as she kept talking they shouldn't panic.

That was the theory.

"Coming out!" A voice called back. Male. Sounded jumpy.

Elisa took another step forward. She hated this part. Too much could go wrong. One gun in front of her, a lot more behind, everybody tense…

Her eyes were drawn to movement on the ground, just ahead of her. As her eyes came into focus in the dark, she could just make out the shadowy outline of the building to her right, cast by the moon. She wasn't sure what, but there was something off about the shape, something different about…

Part of the shadow moved again. There was a definite impression…one might say of wings unfolding and folding again.

Elisa's lips curled in a thin smile as she felt the pressure slide away.

What she'd thought to be a man turned out to be a boy, well, somewhere in their teens anyway. He was holding the gun in both hands, shaking all over. Didn't look like he knew how to use it at all.

"It was an accident." The boy said, quietly.

Elisa nodded, understandingly.

"What's your name?" She asked, though she already knew. It was important to let him feel like he had a degree of control over his situation.

"Darren."

There had been an attempted robbery in a family apartment a few blocks away. Burglar had been shot in the course of the break-in. Neighbours had called the cops and on arrival found the eldest son had fled the scene. With his father's gun.

Elisa could see the whole thing as it happened in her mind.

"I know, Darren." She replied, taking another step forward. "He broke in, probably made all kinds of threats and you were afraid, afraid for your family."

"I didn't mean to fire."

"I believe you." And she did. Given his earlier accuracy with the weapon she couldn't envision the shooting as anything but a mistake. "He will live. The shot caught his shoulder but it wasn't fatal."

"What will happen?"

Elisa saw the shadow move further along the building. A hint of thick, strong legs, the flick of a tail.

"That's what we need to talk about, Darren." This was it. "If you'll let us. If you'll let us help you."

She saw the conflict on his face.

"Your family want to see you, they want to help you." She pressed. "I want to help you." She held out her hand.

The relief that washed over her as she felt the cold weight of the gun placed into her hand was palpable.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"You made the right choice, Darren." She signalled behind her and Morgan came forward with another officer. "This is Morgan, he'll see you home first, then stay with you and your family as you all go down to the station, okay?"

Darren nodded hesitantly and walked past her with the two officers.

"Nice work, Maza." Morgan saluted quickly as they left.

Elisa remained in the alley, watching as the other officers cleared things up out on the street. She didn't flinch as she heard a rush of air behind her, a slightly leathery sound and a muffled _thump_ as of something heavy landing on the concrete.

"Good evening, Elisa." Goliath's voice rumbled out of the dark.

She turned around, making out the large, muscular shape of the gargoyle in the gloom. His wings folded inward, then hooked and fell loose over his broad shoulders. His eyes glowed silver briefly, before fading to their normal colour.

"Goliath." She smiled up at him.

As one, they stepped closer. She slipped into the giant's arms as they closed around her, leaning up on her tip-toes and wrapping her arms around his thick neck. Their lips met.

If the awakening of Goliath and the rest of the 'Manhattan Clan' had changed her life, Elisa thought, then the clash of the Canmore Hunters and the Clan had changed everybody else's. Thanks to Jon Canmore, the world now knew of the gargoyles existence. For better or worse, at this point, none could say.

They pulled apart, merely looking at one another for a moment, as if neither could believe, still, that they were doing this.

"I love you." Goliath said, gently, as if reading her mind.

"Love you too, big guy." She trailed a finger over his cheek, across the well-defined muscles of his jaw. "What brings you out here?"

"I heard about the shooting, and that you were here. I thought I might…sit in." He replied.

Elisa frowned slightly. He knew full well she could handle herself. Was he worried about something else?

"You probably coulda disarmed the kid easy." She ventured, watching the subtle way Goliath's expression changed.

"I could have." He replied, calmly. His hands slid to her shoulders. "But I know you, Elisa Maza. I know you can take care of yourself. I know you neither want nor need me to intervene all the time. I respect that. Your strength is one of many reasons I feel the way I do about you."

"So…just wanted to watch the master at work, huh?"

Goliath chuckled in that steady, rumbling way that sent a shiver down her spine.

"I will always be there for you, Elisa. For all the times that you might not need me, but especially for those times that you do. Should you ask, I will answer, and should you not…well, know that you are never alone, my love."

She made a show of giving his words some thought.

"I can work with that." She smirked, as he smiled down at her kindly.

Goliath. To most, the gentle giant. To his enemies, a foe to be reckoned with. To her…

"Care for a ride?" He stepped back a little, glancing upward. "Fine night for it."

Elisa nodded, allowing him to scoop her up carefully in his large arms. She pressed close to him, slipping an arm around his neck, enjoying the gentle way he held her, as if she were something so weightless, fragile. She didn't think she'd ever truly get used to the way he made her feel so small sometimes. It was strangely easy to forget, until moments like these.

It reminded her of her childhood, her father carrying her. In her memories, he was always so big, and she so small. His eyes looking down at her filled with love.

Goliath was looking down at her now, eyes filled with a different kind of love, but no less important.

Her heart flipped as Goliath leapt up, wings unfurling and catching the wind. The streets went by in a blur beneath them and the cool night air rushed through them, but she wasn't cold.

"So…" Elisa leaned closer to him. "What are the other many reasons you love me?" She grinned.

Goliath laughed.


	2. Cold Coffee

Felt like coming back to this for a bit. Enjoy this senseless, fuzzy fluff.

* * *

Elisa shut the door of her apartment behind her, locking it, then leaning back on it with a yawn. It had been a long…how many hours? Eighteen? Long shift.

Shut the world out.

She slipped off her jacket and tossed it at the peg by the door, missing by miles. She kicked off her shoes as she crossed the apartment, not caring particularly where they landed. She unclipped her holster and belt harness, as she moved into her bedroom, opened the closet and failed to hang them on a hook behind the door.

All problems for another time.

Elisa was practically running on autopilot, as she flopped face first on her bed, laying there for a moment, then rolling onto her back.

She'd crossed that line where exhaustion blurred into a kind of hazy, dreamlike existence. Tired, but able to kind of carry on. It had been a long, long shift. A night filled with drunks, bad drivers, household strife, and a day full of paperwork, bad food, and sweaty, stuffy offices.

In the skylight above, she saw the sky dim to a kind of purple, as the sun went down. Elisa closed her eyes and made a quick, silent prayer for a night where absolutely nothing went wrong. Just one time. Once. One evening to herself.

That done, she reluctantly moved from her comfortable sprawl on the bed and began to undress, casting off her black top and shrugging out of her jeans, leaving her in her plain white bra and knickers. There was a time for nice things, and it wasn't during a shift like that. Just comfy things.

Saying that, she'd not needed 'nice' things for a while. No boyfriends, not much of a life outside of work and handling the gargoyles or her family. And Goliath, bless his heart, didn't really _think_ like most men. At least, not in ways that she'd been able to see.

It was reassuring, comforting in a way, to know she didn't need to pretend or dress up or put on a show for Goliath, who seemed to have a knack for seeing people as they really were. He could see her as she was, all the time.

There were depths to him that she just hadn't…or couldn't, reach though. That was bound to happen, there were a few thousand years between them to work through.

She then pulled on long black nightshirt, buttoning it up and rolling the sleeves, and an old pair of worn, comfy slippers.

A switch in her brain flipped to "relax", once she was done, and Elisa lazily strolled out of her bedroom, into the living area. She dimmed the lights, flicked on the TV and started brewing a coffee. Elisa leaned on the kitchen counter, watching the TV across the room, but not really paying attention.

When it was done, she lifted the mug, blew it lightly and took a sip.

God, she'd been waiting for this.

Elisa padded across the room and dropped into the sofa with a contented sigh, propping her feet up on the table and crossing her legs. She leaned her head back in the soft, plush material, feeling herself sink away, sink away slowly into warm, comfortable oblivi-

There was a soft knock. Followed by another.

Elisa cracked open one eye and glared at the door, which remained still and quiet. The knock again, then she realised it was the sound of knuckles on glass and turned the other way, to the glass doors opening out onto the balcony.

Goliath stood at the door, looking oddly sheepish. It wasn't something she was familiar with seeing from the normally stoic, certain giant.

She set down the coffee on the table by her feet and waved a beckoning hand.

"It's open, Goliath."

"I am interrupting." He stooped low, to get through the door, draping his wings over his shoulders.

"Yeah, but I won't hold that against you." She sighed. "So, what's the problem tonight? Monsters? Ghosts? Robots? Xanatos unveiling yet another new plan?" Elisa counted off the possibilities on her fingers.

"No. I merely thought you might like some company but…" His eyes flickered over her, as he paused just short of the sofa, lingering a moment on her long, bare legs. "…I can see you are having some…what did Lexington call it…'Me Time'?" He frowned, as if digesting some new idea.

"Nothing's wrong?" Elisa chuckled lightly.

"It is a big city, Elisa, something is bound to be happening somewhere." He shrugged, smiling slightly.

Wit, from Goliath. Maybe she was finally rubbing off on him after all. She smiled back.

"But no monsters, no robots, no ghosts, and Xanatos is quite astonishingly quiet, lately." Goliath went on. "I will leave you be."

"No." Elisa shook her head, as he turned back to the door. "Stay. There's coffee if you want?" She patted the empty space on the sofa beside her.

Goliath shook his head, carefully taking a seat beside her. It was as if he was afraid the sofa would collapse beneath him, or that he'd somehow make her uncomfortable. Elisa rolled her eyes and scooted closer, leaning against his large arm.

"I was just a little surprised, that's all." She said, running a hand along the hard, defined muscles of his arm. "You don't often just…drop by. There's always some problem, or crisis, or you're with the clan…"

"Yes. I suppose I do not have much…'Me Time'." He replied, looking down at her. "Like you, protecting this city consumes us."

"Preaching to the choir, big guy." She yawned, stretched out a little and rubbed her feet together.

An idea popped into her head before she could stop it. Insidious, irresistible. She grinned, biting her lip.

"Goliath, how are you with foot rubs?" Elisa wiggled her toes. "Get any practice with those a thousand years ago?"

He glanced at her again, one brow raised.

"I am still a man, if not entirely human." Goliath reached forward, before she could react and scooped up her legs, sliding her around until they were in his lap. "Demona…she and I shared some human needs, once." He had a faraway look in his eyes, and looked sad for a moment.

"I'm sorry." Elisa shuffled back against the arm of the sofa, getting comfortable.

"I am too." Goliath sighed. "And I am not." His hands, claws really, trailed softly down her bare thighs, to her ankles.

His touch was delicate, not something you'd ever associate with Goliath, if you didn't know him. Gentle, tender, careful. He was all of them and more, when needed.

His large hands began to softly knead her feet, working her muscles and sore bones.

Elisa lay back, purring in utter comfort.

She could get used to this.

"I think we've found your true calling, man." She murmured, running a hand through her hair and watching Goliath as his fingers teased her worn soles.

"Pampering New York's most tireless detective? Spoiling my love rotten?" Goliath chuckled, gruffly. "I can think of worse fates."

"So can I." Elisa glanced across at the TV, then noticed her coffee on the table, all but forgotten. "Rats." She grumbled.

"Something wrong?" Goliath asked.

Elisa looked back at Goliath. His eyes wandered over her briefly again. She saw them pause here and there on various parts of her body. Her neck, her chest, her…

She glanced down. Her shirt had ridden up somewhat with all the movement, leaving her underwear partly exposed. She looked up again, catching Goliath's eye.

It was easy to forget, sometimes. Even with the uncharted territory their relationship was exploring, and the nature of their feelings for one another, Goliath was still a man.

Very much a man, she found herself thinking, often.

Elisa decided to do nothing, leaving her outfit as it was. She trusted him, she loved him. Little things like this, they could work on…normalising their relationship, working it out step by step. She wanted him to see her, she liked the idea that she made him want to look. That she could do that.

"You are beautiful." Goliath muttered.

Suddenly her coffee being cold seemed like the least important thing in the world.

"You're not so bad yourself." She grinned.

One of his hands left her feet and slid back up her leg, caressing her thigh.

He looked to her, as if asking permission and she felt her heart jump. She nodded.

Elisa felt both his arms move to her legs again, as he lifted her gently, with ease, entirely into his lap. His arms slipped around her, cradling her almost, like a child in his large embrace.

Part of her still couldn't believe they were really doing this. She suspected that for a long time, it would always feel strange…but it never felt wrong. Never. She'd never felt more right about anything.

Elisa leaned up, pressing her lips softly against his as he leaned down to meet her.

She wrapped her arms around his great shoulders, as one of his coiled around hers, his hand rubbing her arm softly. His other hand slid further up her thigh, under her ass. Elisa shivered slightly as his hand began to caress her rear softly, his fingers deftly tugging and teasing at the waistband of her knickers, but going no further.

"Jesus." She breathed, a little lightheaded, when they broke for air.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Goliath asked, concern written on his features.

"Hell no." Elisa cupped his strong cheek and kissed him again. "You have to stop by for coffee more often."

"For 'Me Time'?" He asked, pressing their foreheads together, their breath mingling.

"I think we can call it 'Us Time', big guy."

"I like the sound of that, Elisa." His arms tightened around her, making her feel small, safe, warm.

"Thought you might." She rested her head in the crook of his neck, yawning again. "Really coulda used that coffee. Don't want to move now though." Elisa closed her eyes, relaxing utterly in his arms.

It was only a few moments when she felt an odd sensation, as of being in the air. She opened one eye and saw Goliath was on his feet, carrying her into the kitchen, with one arm.

"Rest." Goliath said, without looking at her. "I will take care of it."

Elisa couldn't supress the sigh of delight that escaped her lips, as he proceeded to set out two mugs and prepare the drinks with his free hand.

"Where have you been all my life?" Elisa groaned, covering his face with kisses.


End file.
